Drying-kiln



(No Model.) 4 2 sh'es-shee-U. LA EAYBTT-E MOORE. l

DRYING KILN'.

No. 554,134. Patented Peb. 4, 1896.

` {No.Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

LA PAYETTE MOORE.

DRYING KILNlv Patented Fe 4, 1896.

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LA FAYETTE MOORE, OF OORDELE, GEORGIA.

DRYINe-KILN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,134, dated February 4, 1896.

Appnaaon filed January 12, 1895.

To all whom t mayconcern:

Be it known that I, Ln FAYETTE MOORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oordele, in the county of Dooly and State of Georgia, have invented certain' new and useful Improvements in Drying-Kilns; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specifica tion.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a lumber-dryin g kiln which will obviate checking of the lumber during the dryingprocess, and which will produce a superior quality of lumber having a smooth and uniform texture and evenly cured, and which will require a small amount of heat and fuel in its operation compared with driers of like capacity.

The invention is designed more'particularly as an improvement on the kiln set forth in my patent of August 14, 18494, No. 524,598, and aims to increase .the capabilities of the same by providing the inclosing structure with side flues at proper intervals communicating with top flues in the bottom in which the moistureladen air taken from the top of the inclosure commingling with the incoming air of lower temperature precipitates its surplus humidity which is absorbed by the earth bottom of the said condensing-lines, thereby getting rid of the moisture sweated out of the lumber Without any material loss of heat and facilitating the curing or drying process.

Vith these and such other object-s in view as pertain to the nature of the invention, the latter consists of the novel features and the peculiar combination of the parts which hereinafter will be more fully described and claimed, and whichare shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of a lumberdrying kiln embodying the essential principles of the invention, the nearer door and the end of the inclosure being removed and a portion of the inner boxing beingbroken away to show moreclearly the flues for Aconducting the moisture-laden air to the condensing- Serial No. 534,653. (No model.)

iiues. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, and having parts broken away to show more clearly the structural arrangement and the disposition of the several component parts.

The inclosure a is practically an air-tight structure, being closed at its top, bottom and sides, the bottom being earth or sand in which the lower end portions of the walls are embedded. v The tracks O extend longitudinally through the inclosure and incline from the receiving to the discharging end thereof, and are supported upon a suitable trestlewvork d.

b Z2 are vertically-sliding doors closing the ends of the inclosure through which the car E passes in entering and leaving the kiln, aided in their sliding movements by ropes b2 and counterbalance b3.

The heatingfpipes f occur in an upper and a lower series F F, the rear ends being connected by return couplings f and the front ends having connection with, respectively, headers P P placed the one above the other and ext ending in parallel relation transversely of theinclosure. These headers are pipes of comparatively large bore, sufficient to equally distribute the pressure of steam in the pipes The header P communicates at one end with the steam generator (not shown) by means of the pipe F3, the opposite end being closed. The header P connects at one end by pipe F5 with the reservoir F4, into which the water of condensation passes from the header P and from which it is drawn at proper intervals in any convenient manner through the pipe F6. The pipes F incline throughout their length from the header P to the couplings f', and the pipes F incline in an inverse direction from the said couplings f to v the header P', thereby enabling the condensed steam to drain from the pipes j' into the header P and from thence to the reservoir F4, thereby keeping the pipes clear at all times for the passage of the steam.

Two air-flues, V, are provided and extend the entire length of the inclosure and have their ends open out into the air, one being located at each side of the kiln and each closed at its bottom by the earth or sand forming the base or bottom of the inclosure. The upper portions of ,these fines V- project above the surface of the earth, whereas the lower IOO part is embedded therein. A series of transverse iiues W, embedded in the earth so as to come flush at their top surfaces with the surface of the earth, communicate at their ends with the tlues V and have their upper walls provided .in their length with a series of openings w, by means of which communication is established with the interior of the inclosure. Avertical series of side fines, Y', connect at their lower ends with the longitudinal fines V and at their upper ends with top flues, Y, a box Z being provided at the angle to clear the side rafters. The top iiues, Y', terminate at a point between the crest and the side wall of the inclosure and are formed by closing or boxing the space between two contiguous rafters. The vertical fiues are formed between the studding by attaching the boards to the outer and the inner sides of the said studding. This is the preferred manner of forming the iiues Yand Y. However, they maybe provided in many different ways so long as they serve to establish communication between the top portion of the inclosure and the longitudinal fines V.

A series of transverse pipes S, located at intervals in the length of the inclosure, connect at one end with alongitudinal pipe Z by means of couplings o, and are perforated in their upper side, the perforations occurring between the pipes f, so that the latter will not interfere with the vertical jets of steam when the latter are turned on. These pipes S are attached to the trestle-work d and extend beneath the pipes f, so as to support them. The pipe l connects with the supply-pipe l?s and is provided with a valve R for turning on and off the supply of steam to the transverse pipes S. In curing some grades and kinds of lumber it has been found advantageous to subject the lumber to a steam-bath as part of the drying process. Moreover, in

case of fire the steam can be turned on and the jets issuing from the perforated pipes S will quickly and effectually extinguish the fia-mes.

The cars or trucks supplied with the lumber to be treated are run into the inclosure and the door b closed. The steam being turned into the pipes the temperature within the inclosure soon rises to such a degree as to sweat the moisture from the lumber. air rising to the top of the inclosure is thoroughly saturated with the moisture derived from the curing lumber. Some of this moisture-laden air enters the open ends of the fines Y and descends the flues Y, and coming in contact with the cooler air in the fiues V is caused to part with the greater part of its moisture, which is absorbed by the earth or sand, the air passing by way of the lues W and escaping through the openings w into the inclosure. By this means a circulation is established, the air passing from the top to the lower portion of the inclosure, losing much of its humidity in the condensing-fines V, and practically none of its heat, as the lat- The heated L ter raises the temperature of the incoming air, and again passing through the inclosure to repeat the operation just described. Thus it will be seen that very little heat is lost. Hence the kiln can be economically operated and at considerable less outlay than those kilns in which the moisture-laden and heated air is allowed to escape, because in my kiln the heated air is used over again and again, the excess of moisture being precipitated therefrom and disposed of without any appreciable loss of the effective heat. Again, the lumber being enveloped in a moist atmosphere is cured without cracking, checking, and case-hardening, and it as well as the inclosure is not liable to take ire because of the pervading dampness.

Having thus described myinventicn, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A lumber-kiln comprising an inclosure having a normally-closed upper portion, condensing-flues in the bottom portion of the inclosure, vertical side iiues opening into the upper portion of the inclosure and connecting with the said condensing-fines, thereby providing means for conveyingt-he moistureladen air directly to the condensing-dues, and a heater for heating the air within theinclosure, substantially as described.

2. A lumber-kiln comprising a substantially air-tight inclosure having condensing-nues in its bottom portion communicating with the outer air and with the interior of the inclosure, vertical side fines connecting at their lower ends with the condensing-fines, top iiues forming a continuation of the said side flues, and a heater placed in the inclosure in a higher plane than the condensing-nues, substantially as set forth.

3. A lumber-kiln comprising a substantially air-tight inclosure, longitudinal condensingflues, transverse iiues connecting at their ends with the condensing-fines and having their upper portions perforated, fines connecting the condensing-nues with the upper portion of the inclosure, and a heater arranged above the said transverse fines, substantially as specified.

4. Alumber-kiln comprising a substantially air-tight inclosure, longitudinal fines opening at their ends into the outer air, transverse fines connecting at their ends with the longitudinal fiues and having a series of perforations in their upper portions, vertical side ilues connecting at their lower ends with the longitudinal iiues, top flues forming a continuation of the side iiues, and a heater placed above the transverse iiues, substantially as described.

5. In a drying-kiln having a normally-closed upper portion, the combination of a series of perforated pipes placed beneath the heatingpipes and adapted to convey the live steam to the interior of the inclosure, condensingflues, and perforated air-fines located beneath the perforated pipes and in connection IOO IIO

ment may be subjected to a bath, condensing-fines, and transverse air-dues beneath the perforated pipes and in communication with the condensing lues, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LA FAYETTE MOORE.

IVitnesses T. HOLMES, A. BEAMAN. 

